Steam superheating unit



July 5,. 1927. 1,634,670

T. LARREY STEAM sUPERH/EATING UNIT Filed June 18. 1926 Patented July 5,1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT ortica.

'.'LIAIODORO LARREY, OF MEXICO, IEEX-ICO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELFVAND LUISGODARD, O F MEXICO, MEXICO.

STEAM SUPERHEATING UNIT.

This invention relates to steam superheating units ;v and it involvescertain improvements, hereinafter fully described, in the mounting ofsuch units in a .superheating system, particularly a systeml of the`type disclosed in the prior application of' Luis Godard and myself, No.*(3,921, filed December 7, 1925.

According to the system. described in that application, thetubularsuperheating units are mounted at one end in a so-calleddeflector or header and are constructed and arranged to provide for astepwise or stage superheating action. `With that object in view, theheader is divided into a plurality of vertical chambers, an-d theaforesaid ends of the units passv transversely through these chambersand are formed with inlet and outlet ports or apertures which enable thesaturated steam supplied to one chamber of the header to pass from thatchamber into one group of units, circulate therethrough and escape in asuperheated state into a second chamber. From the latter, thesuper-heated steam enters and circulates through a second group of unitsand is then discharged into a third chamber, Wherefrom it may bedelivered to the cylinders of the locomotive or, if preferred, may firstundergo a further stage or stages of superheating a-nd then be suppliedto the cylinders; the precise number of stages and, hence, the number,of groups of tubes, being moreor less immaterial.

In the earlier construction, however, the removal of the. unitsforindividual 4replacement, repair, cleaning and other purposesl wasimpossible., due t0 their mounting; and it was usually necessary todisconnect the header and move it and the superheating tubes bodilyawayv from the boiler in order to Withdraw the tubes from the boilerflues, tubes which, in turn, is removably fitted in a second ta eredsleeve that extends through the severaf chambers of the header.v Thefirstinner sleeve, due to this arrangementr een be withdrawn threeeghthe eut-.er

vthe earlier construction.l

Application led June 18, 1926. Serial No. 116,896.

ythe group of which it is a partgsuch opera- 'lQn, as Well as thesubsequent re-insertlon of the sleeve, being effected readily andquickly by means of simple tools. Other and further objects andimprovements will appear inthe course of the following description. l

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation ofthe invention installed inthe smoke-box of a locomotive; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View, in vertical section, illustrating themounting of one .of the superheating units in the header.

Referring to Fig. 1,1 indicates the smokeboX of the Isteam engine orlocomotive, 2 the boiler Wall, 3 the tube sheet and 4 the fire tubes ordues; the latter being of different diameters, as usual, and arranged inaccordance therevvithin different definitel groups.

lThe dry pipes 7 (of which only one appears) .header is divided bypartitions into a plurality of substantially-counterpart chambers,disposed one, in front of another and extending from top to bottom ofthe header as in There arev four of these chambers in the constructionillustrated, designated 9, 9-, 9.2 and 9i; but such number is arbitraryand may` be increased or decreased, according to `the number of y stagesof super-heating desired.v Hence, the header itself, aside from itsbeing provided With a plurality of internal chambers of the generalcharacter specified, forms, as to its e5 structural details, no part ofthe actual invention which, on the contrary, resides primarily in .theImounting of the superheating units, asy subsequently explained.

Y The superheating u its proper, Which are loc generally designated 38,are virtually identical with those embodied the earlier construction.That is to Say, they are in the form vof tubes which extend through theflues or fire tubes 4l of the boiler and are closed at 105 opposite endsby plugs l30 and 31, and are partitioned longitudinally by flathorizonntally-.disposed bars that l abut at their front ends against the frontplugs 31 but terminate at their rear ends an appreciable distance shortof the roar plugs said bars being rigidly secured in position in anydesired manner in the respective tubes 38. 'lhe port system with whichthe said tubes and related parta` is jn'ovided, serves to elfectcommunication between the successive chainbcrs of the header in the sameway as in the earlier construction and for precisely the same purpose-i.e., to obtain the required stage-heating of the steam, further referencetheerto bein;- made hereinafter.

According to my present invention and as represented in Fig. 2, l fit onand rigidly secure to the front end of each super-heating tube 33 atapered or conical sleeve or bushing 40; the attachment between the twoparts 38 and 40 being preferably leffected by external and inter alwelds 41 and 42. The rear or inner end of the sleeve or cone is slightlyenlarged, as indicated at 43, and a pair of annular enlargements orshould-ers 44 and 45 is also provided at an intermediate point on thesleeve; the three parts 43, 44 and 45, which are slightly rounded,engaging with more or less friction against the tapered inner surface ofa second or outer sleeve or bushing 46 into which the inner s'leeve isfitted, for the purpose of retaining the latter in place. In addition tothis friction loch, an additional centering or positioning means may beprovided in the form of an annular rib or shoulder 47 of roundedsection, located on the inner surface of sleeve 46 adjacent its rearend, and which is engaged by the enlarged end 43 of sleeve 40; but suchrib can be omitted if preferred.

As shown in Fig. 2, the outer sleeve 46 is long enough to extend throughall four chan'ibcrs of the header and to project slightly beyond thesame at opposite ends. The projecting inner or rear end of this sleeveis turned outward to form a circumferential flange 48, between which andthe adjacent header wall a copper gasket 49 is interposed; while theprojecting outer or frontend is threaded, as indicated at 50. and hasscrewed on it a cap or cover 51 having a threaded central aperture 52, asimilar gasket 53 being positioned between the front wall of the headerand the edge of cap 51. The inner surface of sleeve 46 tapers, aspreviously stated, so that this sleeve likewise has, in etl'ect, aconical form; the arrangement being such that tho inward or rearwardmovement of sleeve 40 in sleeve 46 will cause the three enlargements 43,44 and 45 on the former sleeve to bind against the inner surface of theother sleeve which, as will be understood, is of tapering or decreasingdiameter from front to rear. Consequently, the superheater tube can beinserted through sleeve 46 and introduced into the flue tube 4, and willcarry sleeve 40 (which is welded to it) into the said sleeve 46, the twosleeves being ultimately 'locked together by their frictionalengagement.

The front end of sleeve 4() may Vbe closed by a plate or washer 54having a central boss 55 on its outer face for engagement by thesocketed inner end of a bolt or rod 56 which is utilized to force saidsleeve into place in the outer sleeve 46. rlhis boltor rod is screwedthrough the central aperture 52 in cap 51 and is held in adjustedposition by a fastening nut 57 and washer 58. When the parts 51 and 56have been removed, a suitably-pronged tool (not shown) can be insertedthrough the end of sleeve 46 and hooked into perforations 59 formed insaid plate 18. whereupon the latter can readily be withdrawn withoutaffecting the position of the inner sleeve 40 in any way.

As has already been stated, the superheating tubes are provided with aport .system which enab'les the steam supplied to one chamber of theheader to enter the tubes of one group, circulate therethrough fromfront lo rear and then back, and then discharge from that group into asecond chamber, whence it passes int-o a second group of tubos, and soon from chamber to chamber. The last chamber of the header dischargesthe superheated steam through an elbow or similar connection 12 into thecasing or .box 13 of the throttle valve (the stem of which is indicatedat 13); and from said casing, the steam is supplied through pipes 14directly to the steam chests and thence to the cylinders. The passage ofthe steam from chamber to tube and from tube to chamber is the same forall the groups of tubes, and for that reason the illustration anddescription will be limited to a tube of one .Grou which in thearrangement re re-` sented in Fig. 2, receives steam' from the thirdchamber 92 of the header and thereafter discharges it into the fourth orlast chamber 93.

Referring to thefigure specified, it will be assumed that the saturatedsteam supplied to the first chamber 9 by the dry pipe 7 has passed fromthat chamber into and through one group of tubes, and has been convertedinto superheated steam during such passage; thereafter being dischargedinto the second chamber 9', then circulated through a second group oftubes, and then discharged into the third chamber 92. Starting with thatchainbcr, the superheated steam passes into the tube 38 illustratedthrough registering openings 60, 61 and 62 formed, respectively, .in thesleeves 46 and 40 and in the tubeV itself. It then circulates firstrearward and then forward through the upper and lower compartments ofthe tube formed by the partition 32 and finally, on reaching the frontllO end of the lower compartment, discharges through the registeringports or openings 63, 64 and 65 in the respective parts 38, 40 and i6into the last chamber 93 oi the header from which, in turn, it escapesthrough elbow pipe l2 into the throttle casing. The stage heating can,however, take place in the reverse order to that described` startingwith chamber 93 and ending With chamber 9, the result being preciselythe same.

Due to the reanovable fitting of the inner sleeves or cones i0 in theouter sleeves 46, and to their rigid attachmentto the superheater tubes38, as above described, it Will be apparent that, once the cap l andconnected parts have been removed, a pull exerted in a'n outwarddirection on any one of the inner sleeves 40 Will Withdraw the latterand the superheater tube fastened to it bodily as a unit from the headerand the iiue tube. Hence any individual tube desired can readily beremoved at Will for any vof the purposes originally stated, and Withoutrequiring any displacement of the header. To facilitate this, the frontend of each inner sleeve 40 may be formed with a pair of lateralopenings 66 into which a pulling tool can be hooked in the saine manneras previously explained in connection With the removal of plate 54. Onlyone ot' the openings (5G appears in Fig. A2.

` I claim as my invention l. In a steam superheating system for steamengines, the combination of av header having its interior partitioned toform a plurality ot' vertical chambers disposed one in front of another;an open-ended tapered sleeve mounted in the header and extendingtransversely through the several chambers thereof; an open-ended taperedsleeve friotionally engaged in the iirst-named sleeve and removablethrough the front end thereof, said sleeves having registering inletports which open into one chamber and registering outlet ports whichopen into another chamber; a tubular superheating unit inserted into andrigidly secured in the rear end of the inner sleeve to be Withdrawn Withthe same through the said frontend of the outer sleeve; and releasablefastening means for holding the inner sleeve against Withdrawal.

2. A steam superheating system, according to claim l, in which the innersleeve is provided with openings to receive the end of a pulling toolWhen the fastening means has been disengaged, to enable said sleeve andits connected unit to be Withdrawn through the outer sleeve.

3. A steam superlieating system, according to claim l, in which theinner sleeve is provided at its front end with a closure element againstwhich a forcing element forming part of the fastening means is adaptedto be pressed when said fastening mea'ns has been positioned, to enablesaid sleeve to be pushed into place in the outer sleeve after it hasbeen inserted into saidv outer sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

TEODORO LARREY.

